don, eagerly.

Mrs. Larabee gave her an astonished look, puckered up her forehead,
nodded profoundly.

"That's right," she said. Then she dragged the wriggling small body
from Shandon's lap and held the wondering, soft little face against her
own.

"You come to Aunt Johnnie a minute," said she, "you fat old muggins!
Look at him, Shandon. He knows I'm strange. Yes, 'course you do! He
wants to go back to you, Shandy. Well, what do you know about that?
Say, dearie," continued Mrs. Larabee, in a lower tone, "you've got a
terrible handsome boy, and what's more, he's Dan's image."

Mrs. Waters gathered the child close to her heart. "He's awful like Dan
when he smiles," said she, simply. And for the first time their eyes
met. "Say, thank you, for the redishes and the custard pie and that
cheese, Johnnie," said Shandon, awkwardly, but her eyes thanked this
one friend for much more.

"Aw, shucks!" said Johnnie, gently, as she dislodged a drying clod of
mud from the buggy robe. There was a moment's constrained silence, then
Shandon said suddenly:

"Johnnie, what d'you mean by 'shortening' him?"

"Puttin' him in short clothes, dearie. Thelma's been short since
Gran'ma Larabee come down at Christmas," explained the other, briskly.

"I never knew about that," said Mrs. Waters, humbly. "Danny's the first
little kid I ever touched. Lizzie Tom tells me what the Indians do, and
for the rest I just watch him. I toast his feet good at the fire every
night, becuz Dan said his mother useter toast his; and whenever the sun
comes out, I take his clothes off and leave him sprawl in it, but I
guess I miss a good deal." She finished with a wistful,
half-questioning inflection, and Mrs. Larabee did not fail her.

"Don't ask me, when he's as big and husky as any two of mine!" said
she, reassuringly. "I guess you do jest about right. But, Shandy,
you've got to shorten him."

"Well, what'll I get?" asked Shandon.

Mrs. Larabee, in her element, considered.

"You'll want about eight good, strong calico rompers," she began
authoritatively. Then suddenly she interrupted herself. "Say, why don't
you come over to the hotel with me now," she suggested
enthusiastically. "I'm just finishing my wash, and while I wrench out
the last few things you can feed the baby; than I'll show you Thelma's
things, and we can have lunch. Then him and Thel can take their naps,
and you 'n' me'll go over to Miss Bates's and see what we can git.
You'll want shoe